Lafleur Rejects Comeback Try

October 13, 1985|By Rich Lorenz?

Guy Lafleur, 34, who considered a National Hockey League comeback after a salary dispute with the Montreal Canadiens, decided Friday to remain in retirement. ``There`s nothing I`m going to be able to prove to myself or to the fans,`` Lafleur said. Several teams, including the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Winnipeg Jets, had expressed interest in Lafleur.

Joe Cribbs, the Buffalo Bills` premier running back in the early 1980s, has signed a contract to return to the team after a two-year stint with Birmingham of the United States Football League. Cribbs reportedly will be getting $2 million for four years plus a $500,000 signing bonus.

-- Minnesota Vikings` roookie wide receiver Buster Rhymes was back in camp. He said he spent several days in Oklahoma for ``personal reasons.``

Rhymes missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday. He will not play Sunday against Green Bay and will be fined. . . . Bernie Kosar has been named the Cleveland Browns` starting quarterback against Houston.

-- Dallas Cowboy running back Tony Dorsett has denied he used cocaine in public or had anything to do with fixing games. Dorsett made the comment through a team spokesman after a former FBI agent testified in a federal drug trial in Pittsburgh that Dorsett ``openly used cocaine in public`` but didn`t use the drug in connection with fixing games. Former agent Dan Mitrione said he learned that members of the Cowboys ``were throwing games for cocaine.``

Mitrione said he got the information from two Dallas businessmen--John Bridges and Larry Walker. Regarding Mitrione`s allegations, Dorsett said: ``It`s not true. I wish people would leave me out of their troubles. I don`t know anything about that situation or those people.``

-- The New England Patriots have lost their third-round choice in next year`s draft for violating National Football League rules by placing wide receiver Derwin Williams on injured reserve last year. Williams, now active with the Patriots, spent all last season on injured reserve, reportedly with a concussion. He had been quoted as saying that Ron Meyer, the coach at the time, told him to pretend he was hurt. By putting Williams, a seventh-round draft choice last year, on injured reserve the club was able to keep him rather than cut him or another wide receiver. The Patriots said they had no plans to appeal the penalty.

Sting downs Comets

Indoor soccer came to Iowa for the first time in the form of a Sting-Kansas City Comets exhibition match. The Sting won 6-4 before 2,513 at Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Des Moines. The Sting is 2-0 in exhibition play. Neill Roberts scored three goals for the Sting. Damir Haramina scored twice for Kansas City.